Percussion-fuse for explosive projectiles.



A. H. MIDGLE Y. PERCUSSION FUSE FOR EXPLOSI'VE PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. I917.

I 1,301,482.- M v Patented A r.'22,*1919.

I ,IEDSIATE rAct-1min; OFFICE-2, e

" g mmer. HENRYM'IDGL'EY, orzno'ron' :VALEJ ElWGL A 'ND," AssIGNoiton uentin c Tof all'whom it may o'oncern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT 'HENRY M no- LE1", a subject of I and Ireland, and residing "atWarple Way, Acton Vale,.-in th e county of Middlesex,

" *England,"have inventedcertain new and usef'ful'Improvements in an'd'Relating to- Per 1 icu'ssion-Fuses'for Explosive Projectiles, of which'the following is a specification. Y

This,invention relates-to percussion fuses yiforezgplosive projectiles wherein a safety nj' lnembenis interPo's'edfbetween the striker I tape described in the latter specification is and "thepercussioncap; and is'retained in q :its' safety position by means provided out 1 I- the percussion fuses described in my concur- 7 'renfigapplieatione Nos. 170544: and 170545- nd -m'ore particularly Ito-the "means for 1 re: p ai'ning the safety niember'in position and c for causingjitgto be automatically removed after the shell has been fired.

ically retrieved after the shell has V I'mrcussio'nfuse I i v. v Fig. 2 an 61 v tionthereof with the retainm ens nwsit b Fig. 13 'an-' 'e1evati0n means and? safetyjmember' removed" there- "fFi'gJj l is aplanviewf; f v 'F 'i j'a q n ld fi ly w f t y p 'howi'ngjtattachedto the safety member.

nth e's'afety membe'rfand the tape, while view f of a: detail; respectively;

,j ,5 ,g-nef rri aa a wingsm and b are two lniovabl'e blocks-carrying the striker c i aild the, percussion) cap d respectively,, d

m i ed wi in,

ber-f providedpwith I a' depression 9 for receiving the'strikerl h, .h a'reia pair of springs inter posed between; the a two blocks, for keeping l s ec ficatio of anama.

he King of, Great Britain said block 'and-Jend' cover, the upper and isidentical with the fuse described'i in my {concurrent application No; 170,5 l5;

'fsidef he fu e'holder, such as a tape, as in p p j V V I The tape'lc wound around the fuse holder is pivotally attached to the safety" member preferably by means of a link or stirrup LZ': alongianj axis su longitudinal direction of the: fuse holder. The' tape 1s 'cOntinued by a -flati spring,

preferabl a'flattened coil spring m attached p o ack pin n j for automaticallyjiref' i leasing the tape n the dischargeof'thegunj hl in'v ntionlconsists in constructing the". v ean frfli'fQljalnlng the safety member "of to" a' setuse holder of thecharacter above described I npositionandfforicausing it to be automati je cord'ng' to a filhdlfifil' lOll, the tap j m y be been 'fired',- tas fhereinafter more particularly referred to. Referrin'g'to the accompanying drawings Eigureflgis a sectional elevation of the p 4 I i 1 troduced lnto the1 'fuSe holderand is"pro 'keptinposition by-the tapewhichliswound c around the fuse holder after the safety-Tmem-f j ,j ber 7 attached thereto has been inserted'i'into {a the'fusejholderyandby' theftwoends-of the Fig'ifiganother view of'the connection 'be-' 'set-backfpin attached toithe spring'cona95 o v 7' and 8 are anelevation and a lan; p 7

' thebracket,'the lug 1) being provided-for 4 V "thisipurpose with a hole 12}, andjthe. lug q .5 r,

'with an open recess 9? and two projections 4 engaging with a small} cross-"pin n 'provided V on the"'set-'backf pin. The tape -n1ust be he"fu'se holder e; being" wound in that'direction around" theifusef j aratedffrorn' eachz'other by a Safety mem interposed directly between the striker cjandgthe percussion cap (1, andpreferably the latter. apart fterfthef safety member has beenieinoved'frofii its safety position: 7 'fi 15o ff' lhe' upper strface of theblcek' a carrying:

I I CHARLESANTHONYVANDERVELL, or ACTON VALE, NGLA D;

a PnrtoU'ssIonJUsn on EXPLOSIYE'PRQJEGTILESQJ,

PatentediAp1n22, p

' -A1ip1icationfi1edMay23,'1917.- se'rial u o, 170,546;

' the striker is provided witha central conical seat,-the- .end coverief the fuse holderbeing also provided with a similar conical seat, and a'ball j'beinginterposed between lower surfaces of the ball thus, abutting against; said conical seats provided on the end cover -a'nd the blocka respectively.

Theconstruction of thefuse so far described Acco'rding'lto the present invention, the

modified as" hereinafter more particula l referredto.

'tantially parallel: toj' the V entirelyi dispensed with and be replaced f=by 'a spring-of the character"just'referred to; c 1 'A loose bracket 10 ispreferably arranged at.

the point where the safety member, f- "-is'fininbetween the strikerrand' the percussion cap within'the' fuse holder.

tinuation of the tape, which pin is adapted to engage withtwoj lugs p-and gfo'rnied on holder relatively to the position the loose. bracket thereon, in which the tension ofthe' 1 v r s ringm attached to thet'ape; force-the- 105 V small}cross-pin n iprovided n' the set-back" 4 ctionsg ontlie lug g positeend of the pin 7 pin L againstrthe' proj e of the bracket the o .engagirgg withm the olepiprovidd inthe c lug i; e the Bracket: By this arrange-amnt,- 1o g This bracket i .1-;

the tape is kept tightly around the fuse holder until the set-back pin is automatically pushed back by air pressure when the shell is fired, whereby its two ends are caused to become disengaged from the two lugsformed on the loose bracket, thus permitting the tape to unwind itself from the fuse holder duringthe flight of the shell and to drop away from the latter, together with the safety member 7' attached thereto and the loose. bracket 0.

An ordinar safety-pin 7' provided with a cord 1' for acilitating its removal is inserted into the set-back pin in such a position that the lug 9 should lie between the safety pin 1* and the small cross-pin n on the set-back pin, thereby preventing the set-. ;back pin from beingreleased, as hereinbe fore described, until the safety-pin has been removed therefrom.

Another feature ofthe invention consists in the provision of a vane s on the exterior of a'sleeve Z5v provided aroundthe fuse holder 6 between the latter and the loose bracket 0 above referred to, the sleeve being formed with a hole t to permitthe insertion of the safety member into the fuse holder. This sleeve and vane arrangement is provided with the object of preventing the entrance of earth, water,or, other'foreign substance into the interior of the ,fuse after the tape, together with the safety member attached thereto, havedropped away fromthe shell, this being vefi'ected by-the vane sbeing acted upon by air pressure during the flight of the shell, thereby rotating the sleeve t around the fuse holder, thus causingthe latter to cover the hole-in the fuse holder. The

vane s is preferably made springy and put under tension by the tape, soas to assist in sthe throwing out of the safety member either directly or through the intermediary -of.the1bracket 0 referredto when'the tensionzthereon is released upon the unwinding of .the tape when the shell is discharged. The Vane s"may be attached to the sleeve 25 V bycutting and bending out a strip t in the sleeve tandbyinserting the-end s =between the sleeve, andthe said strip and bending it OVOIrthG latter as shown at s I wish it torbe understooddghat the various features of construction referred to may be anodified without departing fromvthe spirit of the invention. r

. What I claim is -1. A percussion fuse forexplosive projecytiles having a fusegholder, ,two membersca- .pable of relative axialmovement, astriker provided on one of the members, a percussion cap .providedon the-other member, a positive safety member for @keeping the two memberscarryingthe striker and. the percussion cap'apart from each other, ,a tape pro- :vided outside the fuse holder for -keeping th sa-fe y mem er initssa yipos i mafl means for pivotally attaching the tape to the safety member, as set forth.

2. A percussion fuse for explosive projectiles having a fuse holder, two members capable of relative .axial movement, a striker provided on one of the members, a percussion cap provided on the other member, a positive safety member for keeping the two members carrying the striker and the percussion cap apart from each other, a tape provided outside the fuse holder for keeping the safety member in its safety position, and a link for pivotally attaching the tape to the safety member, as set forth.

3. Apercussion fuse for explosive projectiles having a fuse holder, two members capable of relative axial movement, a striker provided on one of the members, apercussion cap provided on the otherrmember, a positive safety member for keepingthe two .members carrying the striker and .thepercusslon cap apart from each other, .a flat spring tape wound around the fuse holder, means for pivotally attaching the tape to the safety member,cand a set-back'pin attached to the end of the flat springtape for automatically releasing the tape, as set forth.

4. A percussion fuse for explosive projectiles havinga' fuse holder, two members capable ofrelativeaxial movement, a striker provided on one of the members, a.percussion cap providedon the other member, a positive safety member for keeping thetwo members carrying the striker and the percussion cap apart from each other, a flat spring tape attached to the safety member and wound around the. fusehol'der, :a setback pin attached to theend of the flat springtape for automatically releasing the tape, and a loose bracket adapted to vreceive the setback pin, as set forth.

5. A percussion fuse forexplosive projectiles having a fuse holder, two members capable of relative axial movement, a striker provided on one of the members, agpercussion cap provided on the other .member, a positive safety member for keepingthe two members carrying the striker and the per- .cussion cap apart from each other, a flat pm being provided on the set-back ,pin

and adapted to engage with the said projections on oneofthe lugs,,as set forth. I

6. A percussion fuse for explosive ;projectiles having a fuse holder, two members capable of relative axial movement, a striker on one .of the said members, a percussion cap provided ,on. the other member, ,a positive ,members apartj'from ea-ch :Vthe fuse holder for the insertion oftheposi tive safety member, means prov'idedoutside for keeping the said two safety member other, a hole in the fuse holder for keeping the positive safety member in: position, asleevemounted I 1 on the outside of the fuse holder, a hole proh '5 Copies of this patent may beobtalned tor v jectiles having. a fuse. holder, Y .I .15

' on one ,of thefsaid members, apercussion vided in sald sleeve through which the positive safety member is insertedinto the fuse holder between the striker and the percussion v'c aepend a vane on'the sleeve, as and for the purpo'seset forth; 7

7. A percussion capable of relative axial movement, a striker c'ep prov ded 'on the other member, a posi fuse for explosive protwo members tive safetymember for keeping the seidtwo 5 'merhbersapert from each other, a flat spring tape attached to the: safety, member {and wound around-the fuse holder,j a. set-backpin attached to the fiat spring tape, a; loose:

bracket receiving the set-back pin; a, sleeve mounted "on the outside of the fuse holder, a, hole in the fuse holder'and a hole inthe sleeve through which the positive safety";

member is inserted iinto-the'fuse holder: be;- r

tween the striker'ienrl the percussion cap,

" and-avane on the sleeve, said' ane-being 7 p arranged underneath the loose bracket, as

and for thejpurposeset forth I flve cent's' jeaeh by addressing he commissioner of Patents, wa hinz omnc." i is V 1 In' testimony whereof I have signed name to this specification. f 7 ALBERT HENRY MIDGLEYQ' 

